Value of Hotels in Local, City Investments 

• Hotels are an integral part of the fabric of each community across the United States. From coast to coast, the industry proudly invests in the communities in which they call home by creating jobs, supporting long-term career opportunities, generating significant tax revenue, contributing to the local and state economies, and encouraging community development.
• From global brands to the small inns and bed and breakfasts that line Main Streets across the country, we are a vibrant, innovative industry that continues to experience tremendous growth. In fact, we are welcoming more guests into our hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts than ever before.
• As the first face that visitors see, hotels are great ambassadors for their communities, and a cornerstone for local economic activity. Hotel and lodging businesses support their communities through increased tax revenue, capital investment, tourism-related development and promotion, civic leadership, and charitable contributions and sponsorship.
• Each year, our industry drives hundreds of billions of tax and tourism dollars to federal, state and local governments and to America’s small businesses. In total, guests spend $483 billion at hotels and local businesses annually.
• Indeed, for every $100 guest spend on lodging, an additional $221 is spent by guests in the community, whether at restaurants, small businesses, retail and transportation to name a few.
• Hotels are key job creators in the communities they represent. Offering career opportunities for a wide variety of employees representing all different levels and positions, hotels employ many entry level positions and provide the stepping stones for their employees to move up within the organization.
• In a recent survey of U.S. mayors from across the country, respondents overwhelmingly had a positive outlook of the hotel and lodging industry, affirming the value our industry brings to communities nationwide. Key findings include:
• 70% of respondents stated that when they think about jobs with the most opportunity, good benefits and wages within the tourism industry, they think about hotels and lodging first.
• 9 out of 10 mayors say their communities would benefit from more hotels
• 68% say hotels and lodging are the largest contributors to their city’s destinations.
• Across the country, hotel operations and guest spending support 8 million jobs across, including 4.3 million direct jobs.
• With all the economic benefits associated with hotels in local communities, it is no surprise that nine out of ten mayors say their community would benefit from more hotels, inns or bed & breakfasts due to the value of broader economic growth activity supported in the form of new businesses, creation of new jobs and increased revenue to local businesses.